“What a lovely couple you are.”
To hear those words from Viscountess Enisha while Carcel and I sat across from her like an affectionate married pair—
It was a scene I never could have imagined before.
The next day, I found myself replaying everything over and over, wondering how things had turned out like this.
How on earth did it come to this?
The elegant woman seated opposite me finally smiled warmly.
“Very well. Since building a ranch is your wish, my lady, and your husband speaks so sincerely, I’ll sell it to you.”
“You won’t regret this deal.”
At that moment, Carcel turned toward me and spoke gently.
“My lady, is everything arranged exactly as you wanted? If there’s anything else you need adjusted, please tell me freely.”
“Huh? Ah—yes!”
“To be honest, the land itself isn’t worth very much. Purchasing it at this price and agreeing to pay five percent of any future profits generated from it for the next ten years is rather…”
He paused delicately.
“It does seem somewhat one-sided in the seller’s favor.”
At his words, I turned away from him with the guilty expression of a puppy caught secretly eating something off the floor.
“Still, if this is what you want, then we’ll proceed with these terms.”
“Yes!”
Viscountess Enisha let out an elegant laugh.
“My, your husband adores you. You make such a lovely pair.”
“I chased after my wife and only barely managed to marry her. I don’t intend to let her slip away.”
“Oh, to be young and in love. This may be a rude question, but do you have any children?”
“We have a daughter.”
A daughter? What daughter?!
I stared up at him in shock from my seat beside him.
The reason this situation had become such a tangled mess...
It was all the result of a series of coincidences.
The fastest way I knew to make a fortune was, of course—
“Real estate!”
Land was king.
No matter the world, tangible assets were always the safest investment.
I had absolutely no talent for business.
I didn’t have a rich husband worth divorcing, nor family members willing to lend me startup capital.
In other words, all I have is a little insider knowledge. Real estate investment is the only option available to me.
Among the characters in the novel, there was a villainous supporting character who served as Linea’s rival.
Her name was Jenis.
Her family had always been wealthy, but they rose even higher after purchasing a certain piece of land by sheer chance.
A mere baron’s family had even aspired to place their daughter on the imperial throne.
There was only one reason they had managed such an incredible leap in status.
Mana stones.
An incredibly efficient energy source containing enough magical power to last over a century.
And beneath the land they had purchased cheaply from Viscountess Enisha...
There was an enormous deposit of them.
This world was gradually advancing toward modernity, and magical tools of all kinds were becoming increasingly widespread.
And every single one of those magical devices required mana stones.
Compared to the exploding demand, however, mana stone mines were exceedingly rare.
The price was practically whatever the seller demanded.
Thanks to that, Jenis planned to marry the Crown Prince using the mana stone mine as her dowry.
In fact, the imperial family considered her a more suitable candidate for empress because of it.
Of course, this was a fantasy novel.
Linea’s kindness and lovable personality ultimately won out in the end.
But for me, this world was no longer a fantasy novel.
It was reality.
Which means I’ll become the owner of that mana stone mine and pave a smooth road for Linea’s future.
Naturally, if everything went according to plan, my own future would be covered in flowers as well.
That morning, after visiting the bank near my house, I headed toward the main road to hire a carriage, my heart filled with hope.
That was when a black carriage came to a stop beside me.
“...Again?”
As I stared at it, the coachman stepped down and opened the carriage door.
Inside, just as I expected—
“Fancy meeting you again, my lady.”
“Is it really... a coincidence?”
“As you said before, it’s a coincidence disguised as fate.”
Carcel tilted his head with a bright smile that contrasted sharply with his fierce-looking face.
That smile added a touch of youthful charm to his naturally sensual features, leaving me momentarily dazzled.
Seriously, he’s absurdly handsome.
For a second, I thought I might start drooling, so I quickly wiped the corner of my mouth.
“Actually, I happened to find something you left behind yesterday. I wanted to return it, but I had a feeling you wouldn’t appreciate receiving a letter at the count’s estate.”
“Right.”
At least he had some sense.
Chuckling as though he found the situation ridiculous himself, he continued.
“To be honest, I waited here on purpose.”
He met my gaze directly.
“I wanted to see your face at least one more time.”
My cheeks burned instantly.
This lunatic. He’s absolutely insane.
How could he say something like that so casually?
As he smiled at me with those alluring eyes, my heart lurched, and I had to take a deep breath.
That’s cheating. Smiling like that with a face like his...
He had a face that made every word sound impossibly convincing.
“Today, I really did only intend to return this.”
“What is it?”
“You dropped your handkerchief that day.”
The item he pulled from his coat was indeed my handkerchief.
“Oh. I didn’t even realize it was missing.”
Carcel laughed softly.
“To tell the truth... when I found it, I was happy. It felt like fate had given me an excuse to speak with you again.”
“Y-You...!”
My face turned scarlet.
The marquis stepped down from the carriage and approached me.
Holding out the neatly folded handkerchief, he said nothing.
“Thank you.”
I accepted it, but as I did, his fingertips—large enough to completely engulf my hand—brushed lightly against my palm.
An unfamiliar tingling sensation shot through me.
My eyes widened.
Suddenly, I couldn’t breathe properly.
As if nothing had happened, the marquis smiled flawlessly and asked,
“If you’re headed somewhere, allow me to give you a ride.”
“That’s all ri—”
“...Would you really refuse me?”
Why was he looking at me like that?
For a moment, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the wistful smile on his face.
In the end, overwhelmed by the sheer persuasive power of that handsome face, I nodded.
“Ah!”
I hadn’t meant to agree!
But he seized the opportunity immediately and extended his hand.
“Thank you.”
I took his hand gently and climbed into the carriage.
His hand was even larger and firmer than I had expected.
Unlike before, he wasn’t wearing gloves.
Our bare skin touched.
The sensation of our hands pressing together before slowly parting again felt strangely intimate.
Yet the marquis climbed into the carriage as though nothing unusual had happened, wearing that unreadable smile.
“Where shall I take you?”
“First, to the nearest Imperial Bank. Then to Lotten Street, Number Four.”
“Understood.”
After relaying the destination to the coachman through the small window, he turned back to me.
“Have you eaten?”
“Not yet.”
Because of what had happened yesterday, my mother-in-law had ordered the kitchen not to give me so much as a slice of bread, saying I should pay for my own meals from now on.
I had already been planning to take care of my errands and eat somewhere outside.
“I thought that might be the case, so I prepared something.”
“What?”
“You seem like a busy person. I wanted to share a meal with you, even if only like this.”
So that delicious smell I’d noticed earlier...
He handed me a basket.
“A lunch basket?”
“Yes. Nothing extravagant, but enough for a simple meal.”
Carcel opened the basket.
“Wow...”
Inside were a rich, fragrant soup and thick sandwiches overflowing with meat—so appetizing that my mouth watered instantly.
He calmly took out plates and napkins, setting everything up with practiced ease.
Growl.
Having barely eaten properly at the count’s estate, my stomach let out an embarrassingly loud noise.
My cheeks flushed with humiliation.
“I’m sorry. I left in a hurry this morning.”
“I’m hungry as well.”
Eating breakfast inside a carriage with a foldout table...
This is basically dining in a limousine.
Unable to resist any longer, I took a spoonful of soup.
The warm, savory broth slid down my throat, and I nearly teared up from how delicious it was.
“This is incredible.”
“I’m glad you like it. The chef at my estate is quite talented.”
His eyes softened.
“If you ever visit, I’m sure they could prepare something even better for you.”
The subtle invitation hidden in his words made me laugh awkwardly.
I should ask the information guild to investigate Marquis Rivandel.
Now that I thought about it, the timing of his appearance was suspiciously perfect.
But if Marquis Rivandel truly was sincere toward me...
Linea isn’t my biological daughter, and my husband is dead. If I want to leave the count’s estate with her, money alone won’t be enough.
According to imperial law, taking custody of a child who was not biologically yours after divorce or widowhood required certain conditions to be met.
